N6: Menthe

AIATSIS code: 
N6
AIATSIS reference name: 
Menthe

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Thesaurus heading people
ABN name
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ABS name
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Horton name
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Ethnologue name
Manda
ISO 639-3 code
zma
Tindale name
Menthajangal
Tindale (1974)
Mendajangal
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode
mand1416
Other sources
Manda, Menthe Yangal (the name for the people who own the Menthe language), Manthi Yangal, Murrinh Menthe (name used by Murrinh-patha speakers), Murrinh Mentherr [Top End Handbook] Mendhe, Menhdhe [Ford 2007]
Synonyms
Menhthe, Daktjerat, Murinwargad, Wagaid, Wagaidj, Wagait, Wagaitj, Wagatsch, Waggait, Waggate, Waggite, Waggote, Waggute, Wagite, Waogatsch, Wargad, Wodadj, Wogadj, Wogait, Wogaity, Wogatj, Wogaty, Wogite, Worgaid, Worgaidj, Worgait, Worgite, Menthajangal, Menthe Yangal, Manthi Yangal, Murrinh Menthe, Murrinh Mentherr, Mendajangal, Western Daly language.
Comment
Comments: 

According to Top End Handbook, Emmi N15, Marranj Warrgat N13 and Menthe are in a dialectal relationship, and the language comprising Emmi, Menthe and Marranj Warrgat is called Marranj N215 by linguists.

Previously, Batjamal / Wogait language was listed under N6 in the Thesaurus, see Batjamalh N31.

Green and Nordlinger classify Menthe as a Western Daly non Pama-Nyungan language along with Marramaninjsji N16,  Merranunggu N13, Emmi N15, Marri Ngarr N102, Makati ke N163, Marrithiyel N7, Marri Tjevin N161, Marri Ammu N162, and Marri Dan N9.

 

References: 
  • Green, Ian & Nordlinger, Rachel. The Daly Languages (Australia). Web Resource http://dalylanguages.org
  • Oates, Lynette F. 1975. The 1973 supplement to a revised linguistic survey of Australia. Armidale: Armidale Christian Book Centre.
  • Tryon, D. T. 1974. Daly Family languages, Australia: Pacific Linguistics C-32. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  • Tindale, Norman B. 1974. Aboriginal tribes of Australia: their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press/Canberra: Australian National University Press.
Status: 
Confirmed
Location
State / Territory: 
NT
Location information: 

North of Daly River Mission near source of Reynolds River (Oates 1975:38). on the coast at Anson Bay on the south side of the river (Tryon 1974). On the Bonaparte Gulf coast from Red Cliff south to beyond Cape Scott; inland for about 10 miles (15 km.) to the inner margin of the coastal swamps; 7 on NW map (Tindale 1974).

Menthe country lies on the southern shores of Anson Bay, extending from the Cliff Head region down towards the Dashwood Plains. Menthe has two identified sister dialects: Emmi, on the coast to its north; and Merranunggu, inland to the east. The Brinkin dialects Marri Ammu and Marrithiyel lie to Menthe’s south and south-east respectively. Menthe descendants are today based primarily at Belyuen, but no speakers of the language remain (Green & Nordlinger viewed November 2020).

 

Maps: 
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Links
Programs
Activities: 
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People: 
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Indigenous organisations: 
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Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates30
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt10?
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1-
2005Estimate-
2006Census-
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census-
2018-2019NILS3

Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.

Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).

Documentation
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Less than 20 pages 1
Text Collection None 0
Grammar A few articles 1
Audio-visual Less than 1 1
Manuscript note: 
not available
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 
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Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Daly Bringen-Wagaydy Wagaydy Manda  
Dixon (2002)   DALY RIVER AREAL GROUP Western Daly subgroup* Menhthe Emmi/Merranunggu(=Warrgat) Ford (1998) further dialects Menhthe (close to Emmi)
Wurm (1994) Daly Bringen-Wagaydy   Manda  
Walsh (1981) Daly Bringgen-Wagaydy Wagaydy (Wogaidy) Manda  
Oates (1975) Daly Bringen-Wagadj Wagadj Manda  
Wurm (1972) Daly Brinken-Wagaty Wagaty Manda  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)